hemje



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. HEMJE.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. HEMJB.

TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE.

Patented Deo. 13,1881.

00 E TU M E H U TOBACCO CUTTING MACHINE.

Patented Deo. 13,1881.

/WH I'y N. PETERS. Plwxo-Llxlwgmpmr. wnslingm". D. c.

. of a double machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

CHARLES HEMJE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TOBACCO-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters YPatent No. 250,732, dated December 13, 1881.

` Application led October 14,1881. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES IIEMJE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to machines for cutting up leaf-tobacco or tobacco-stems into scraps or small pieces, such as is now frequently used for making the fillers of cigars, or for the cutting of smoking-tobacco; and the object is to improve the construction of such machines.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of certain parts of a tobacco-cutting-inachine, as will hereinafter be described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In theaccompanyingdrawings,Figurelrepresents a side elevation of my machine, showing especially the inclination of the cuttingrollers to each other. Fig. 2 represents aseotion through the frame on the line 2 2 of Fig. 4, showing the manner in which the inclination of the cutting-rollers to each other is obtained. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of my machine. Fig.4is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6 of Fig. L.tof my machine. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section Fig. S is an end view of the same. Fig. 9 represents part of aroller with straight or inclined grooves.

lIn the accompanying drawings, A represents a suitable frame arranged for the reception of the cutting apparatus, the peculiar construction of which will be more fully described farther on.

The cutting apparatus consists of two rollers, B C7 grooved in such a manner as to form cutting-edges, the grooves between the cuttingedges being either made curved, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, or straight and inclined, as shown in Fig. 9. These rollers are placed end for end-that is to say, in such a manner that the straightvertical sides of the cutting-edges face each other. Either on one or both ends of these rollers B C is formed a collar, D,

somewhat larger in diameter than the cutting part of the roller, and opposite this larger collar is a deeper groove, D', in the adjoining roller, so' as to enable the collar on the opposite roller to pass through it. These collars lap each other in the same manner as the cuttingedges, only a little more. The shaft of each'roller is in a journal-box at each end, which rests in a groove formed by the two ribs a b of the frame A.

The journalboxes c of the roller B are plain and fastened to the frame Abybolts, the holes in the boxes through which the bolts pass being elongated or slotted, so as to enable the journal-boxes to be slightly moved by the setscrews d and d in the end.

The laps of the cutting-ed ges of the rollers should be about one-sixteenth of an inch, which can be regulated by the set-screws .d andd, referred to above.

The journal-boxes of the rollerC are stationary, and may be either plain, like those on the roller B, or they can be made to slide in a stationary outer box, e, and supplied with a strong spring, f, to keep them in place.

A set-screw, g, passes through the outer box, and can be tightened or loosened, so as to properly regulate the tension of the spring.

As nails and other hard substances are frequently found among leaf-tobacco, this spring journal-box is of great value in this machine, allowing the roller to move awayfrom the other roller and let the nail pass through without injuring the cutting-edges, .which would not be the case if the rollerC were stationary.

If the rollers are placed horizontally and parallel to each other on the frame, so that the cuttin g-edges would bear flat against each other, they would not cut well, and to make them cut properly two things are necessary: The trst is that the rollers should be placed at a very small angle to each otherthat is to say, on the same side of the frame A the one roller should be slightly higher than the other one-so that the cutting-ed ges do not bear flat against each other, but only touch at one point, thereby producing the shear-cut. To obtain this cut the space between the ribs of the frame on which the journal-boxes rest is not made liat, but in two diagonally-opposite corners. The bearin gpoint for the journal-boxes is made somewhat IOO higher, as is plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The same object can be attained by having inclined planes between the ribs, said inclined planes to run in opposite directions. The second requirement is that the cutting-edges ofthe rollers should be firmly held against each other. If a spring journal-box is used for' one of the rollers, a bridge, t', is formed on the sliding journal-box, extending outside of the end of the roller-shaft, and through this bridge a set-screw, 7c, passes and bears against the end of the roller C, thus giving the required pressure to the cutting-edges. With plain journalboxes the set-screw can pass through a plate attached directly to the frame.

The enlarged collar and its corresponding groove on one or both ends of the rollers are of the greatest importance, and serve to take any undue strain from the cnttin g-ed ges, which may be occasioned by tightening up the setscrew 7c too much. If any hard substancesuch as a nail-gets into the machine, the rollers would spread apart, and as the lap of the cuttin g-ed ges is only about one-sixteenth of an inch, the pressure of the set-screw would force the cutting-edges past each other and probably break or injure them. For this reason the preventer-collars D are made stronger and ot' a larger diameter, so that if the rollers should spread beyond the lap of the cutting-edges they will not be allowed to move endwise by the pressure of the set-screw 7c.

Scrapers or combs E are secured in any snitable manner and position, but preferablyas shown, to prevent the grooves of the rollers from clogging up, which might be otherwise the case if wet tobacco is cnt on the machine.

A feed-box, F, is arranged on top of the machine, so as to leave merely an opening large enough for the tobacco to get to the rollers. The rollers are geared together by cog-wheels l m, or any other suitable contrivance, and on lthe end of one of the rollers a suitable crank or pulley is secured to operate the machine either by hand or power. As the tobacco is cut into strips only by the iirst operation of the machine it has to be run through a second time to make the scrap; but two sets ot' rollers of the same kind could be arranged,'one on top of the other, so that the cutting of scraps or smoking-tobacco can be performed in one operation. The two machines can in this instance be geared together by cog-wheels, endless chain, or any other suitable device, although it would be advisable to gear the two machines in such a manner that the lower one would run a little faster than the upper one, to prevent it from being overfed by the top one.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a tobacco-cutting machine, the thrustcollars of greater diameter than the cuttingedges of the rollers, and arranged at one or both ends, in combination with one or more sets of cu ttin g-rollers having curved or straight inclined grooves, as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a tobacco-cutting machine, a frame, A, provided with raised seats in two diagonallyopposite corners, for the pillow-blocks ot' the journal-boxes, in combination with the cuttingrollers B C, substantially as specified.

3. In a tobacco-cutting machine, a frame, A, provided with raised seats in two diagonallyopposite corners, for the pillow-blocks of the journal-boxes, in combination with the cuttingrollers B C, having thrust-collars of greater diameter than the rollers, substantially as described.

4. In a tobacco-cutting machine, the rollers B G, provided with thrust-collars of greater diameter than the rollers, in combination with the sliding springjournal-boxes, arranged substan tially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a tobacco-cutting machine, the rollers B C, provided with thrust-collars of greater diameter than the rollers, in combination with the sliding springjournal-boxes and the frame A, having raised seats in two diagonally-opposite corners for the pillow-blocks of the jou rnal-boxes, substantially as set forth.

In testimony' whereofI hereby affix my signature in presence ot two Witnesses.

CHARLES HEMJE.

Witnesses A. H. BETZ, C. S. DRURY. 

